Padres Expected to Compete With Dodgers for $45 Million Starter at Trade Deadline

The San Diego Padres are currently 5.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. While the division race remains competitive, the two rivals may be fighting for the same starting pitcher at the July 31 trade deadline.

Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo is reportedly on the trade block. Lugo is sporting a 3.67 ERA with 88 strikeouts and 1.079 WHIP across 17 starts this season.

The Athletic's staff pegged Lugo as a "late bloomer in the rotation" and both NL West teams could use a reliable middle of the rotation arm.

"Lugo had a breakout season in 2024, pitching more than 200 innings with a 3.00 ERA and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting," The Athletic staff wrote. "Now 35, his surface-level numbers are almost identical this year. The pitch and batted ball data suggest he’s not been as good as a year ago, but Lugo has remained plenty effective. He has a player option for 2026 he’s unlikely to exercise barring injury, meaning the right-hander should be considered a rental."

The Padres planned on beginning the year with four primary starters in the rotation: Yu Darvish, Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Nick Pivetta. Spring camp would determine who would be the fifth starter.

Nevertheless, the Friars lost a staple of their rotation when Darvish was sidelined this spring by right elbow inflammation. The pitching staff began the season without the veteran right-hander, but King quickly emerged as the Padres' bonafide ace this season.

King landed on the injured list in May with a pinched nerve, joining Darvish on the IL. Prior to his injury, King was sporting a 2.59 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 1.024 WHIP across 10 starts this season.

The loss of Darvish and King to the Padres rotation was detrimental, especially since Cease has not produced as expected.

Cease has allowed 10 runs in his last two starts, and his struggles this season have only hurt the depleted Friars rotation more. The right-hander has a 4.88 ERA across 19 starts this season, and it's unclear when he will be able to turn things around.

“I feel like I just need to kind of weather the storm and just keep moving forward,” Cease said to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. “I like the work I’ve put in. I feel like I’m really close, and there’s a lot of things that are positive. I just haven’t put it all together yet.”

While Darvish has made his long-awaited return to the mound, the Padres could certainly use another reliable starter in the rotation. Lugo, who is owed $4.8 million in 2025, appears to be a good solution for the Friars as they prepare to make deep playoff push.

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